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A whistleblower has told the Afghan leak inquiry that the UK abandoned confidential devices enabling the Taliban to identify local individuals who worked with international military.

Information Leak Endangers Thousands in Danger

The source, known as Person A, explained that Afghans affected by the data leak were told to change residences and alter their contact details to avoid detection from militant forces.

Members of Parliament are currently examining the Conservative government's response of a serious disclosure of personal details affecting nearly 19,000 Afghans who had asked to relocate to the United Kingdom to flee militant rule.

How the Leak Occurred

An electronic document with confidential details, including identities, contact details and occasionally household data, was mistakenly released by a worker working at UK special forces headquarters in early 2022.

The incident was discovered in late 2023, when details of several individuals who had requested to relocate to the UK were posted on online platforms.

Militant Technology

“There seems to be a false assumption that Afghan rulers do not have comparable resources that we have,” she told MPs.

All equipment was abandoned in Afghanistan; they have it. If they have your phone number, they can trace you down to within metres. That is what specialized teams achieved.”

Under inquiry about regarding if authorities possessed advanced decryption, Person A confirmed: “They possess all resources.”

Consequences of the Data Breach

Initial findings submitted to the committee suggested that at least 49 family members and colleagues of people concerned by the incident had been killed.

A legal restriction about the breach was implemented in late 2023 and blocked relevant facts about it from media reporting until mid-2025.

Protective Actions

Given injunction limitations, Person A and the volunteer organization associated with informed individuals at risk they were working with that they had “suspicions that somebody's phone had been compromised”.

“We recommended that they relocate if they could and changed their mobile numbers. That constituted the two main details that, if authorities obtained this information, would lead to their location being found,” Person A explained.

Contested Findings

The source argued that internal investigation conducted by a retired civil servant had been mistaken to determine that the acquisition of the information by the Taliban was “unlikely to substantially change present danger”.

“The thing to remember is that these individuals are in hiding from the Taliban; they live secretly. The primary issue involves past work history.”

The source explained disturbing treatment experienced by concerned people, including electric shock torture, simulated drowning, and severe beatings.

“We have had young kids who have had their arms broken to force households to disclose hiding places,” she testified.